THE LEG E
H B. OT O
Y R A SM D N
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THE LEGENDARY SMOOTH B. STRIKES GOLD AGAIN WRITTEN BY TI'JUANA MAMARAZZI HARDWELL
As a member of the hip hop group “Nice & Smooth,” The Legendary Smooth B. made history with gold and platinum-selling records. But many considered the duo to be ahead of their time penning classic songs like “Sometimes I Rhyme Slow,” “Hip Hop Junkies” and “Funky 4 U.” The group infused hip hop music with R&B melodies well before it was popular. But now, The Legendary Smooth B. is back on the charts again with a new single titled “Before.” He teamed up with The Outlawz to remix the smash single. When “Before” was released in June of last year, The Legendary Smooth B.’s phone started ringing and his DMs were blowing up. Erick Sermon, Donnie Wahlberg, Bobby Brown and LL Cool J were just a few to express excitement about the new track. The track is now certified gold. “LL Cool J reached out and told me, ‘Yo. This sh*t is fire,’” said The Legendary Smooth B. “It’s like a win for them too.”
I might have been ahead of my time back then-but I’m on time right now. 2
The Legendary Smooth B. grew up in Bronx, New York. At age 10 he witnessed the DJ battle of Grandmaster Flash and DJ Kool Herc at Taft High School. During his time with Nice & Smooth he recorded on twoinch reels that were at least 5 pounds and could only support 3-4 songs—a vast difference from today’s technology which allows you to record on your phone, push a button and have your music instantly played around the world. Nice & Smooth released four albums between 1989 and 1997. “During the golden era of hip-hop, artists prided themselves on originality, substance, content and we can’t forget that wordplay was everything,” recalls The Legendary Smooth B. “Then the industry started to change its view on creativity.” Public Enemy’s Chuck D referred to Nice & Smooth as the “yin and yang of hip hop.” The group has been sampled many times by artists like Diddy, Black Eyed Peas and Common. The Legendary Smooth B. wrote for Bobby Brown, ran with The Outlawz and smoked with Tupac Shakur. The rap vet says that the loss of Pac had a profound impact on many people in the industry and especially those who worked closely with him. “Tupac was like a brother to me,” he said. “The passing of Pac was just so hard and I became disenchanted with the way things were going.” The Legendary Smooth B. says that Tupac was like a brother to him. His death had an impact on how he saw the industry.
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The Legendary Smooth B. endured the loss of many others including his brother and wife of 32 years. Although not in the limelight any longer, he never stopped creating. The Legendary Smooth B. began writing scripts for sitcoms but his love for music never went away. He’s excited about the response “Before” has garnered. New Kids on the Block’s Donnie Wahlberg made an appearance at the end of the music video for the record. While the remix for “Before” is climbing, another singled called “Summer Cry” has also piqued the interest of DJs. The song reached #1 in the same week that “Before (Remix)” sat at #3 on the charts. The success of streams is something he’s proud of as it “puts the power back in the hands of the artist.” The Legendary Smooth B. even recorded a Spanish version of “Before.” Recording a Spanish version was something Nice &
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Smooth did back in the 90s making them the 1st non-Latino hip hop act to do it—but his label didn’t understand it. “I might have been ahead of my time back then,” says The Legendary Smooth B. “But I’m on time right now.”
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Singles “Before” and “Summer Cry” are available on all streaming platforms. A fulllength solo album is slated to be released by Barnes Entertainment Music Group in Association with Big I God Enterprises by the end of summer.
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